pillar

/ˈpɪlə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [pˈɪlɚ] /ˈpɪlər/ (ame, ipa) · [pˈɪlɚ] /ˈpi-lər/ (ame, mw)

pillar — noun

  • pillarsingular
  • pillarsplural

1. a tall upright post that supports a ceiling or roof, often built from brick, ste

1.名詞B1
釋義

a tall upright post that supports a ceiling or roof, often built from brick, steel, or another strong material, and sometimes serving as part of the decoration.

例句

Amir leaned against one of the stone pillars at the entrance of the old temple.

collocation: stone pillar

The wooden pillars that supported the porch roof were replaced last summer.

同義詞
  • column

    a more specific term for a round, upright pillar in classical architecture, usually with a base and capital

  • post

    a general word for any upright piece of wood or metal, often less decorative than a pillar

  • pier

    a thick pillar that supports a bridge or a large structure above it

文法句型

pillar + of + [building/structure]

用法筆記

Frequently used with material adjectives (stone pillar, marble pillar, wooden pillar) to specify the building material. The pillar can be either structural (holding up a roof) or purely decorative.

常見錯誤

❌The pillar of the building collapsed' (when meaning a wall).
✅One of the marble pillars in the entrance hall collapsed.
💡Use pillar for a tall, separate post, not for a flat wall surface.
❌Pillar and column are the same word.
✅A pillar can be decorative or structural; a column is more strictly a cylindrical pillar used in classical architecture.
💡The words overlap but are not identical.

2. a person who plays a key role in supporting a group, organization, or community;

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person who plays a key role in supporting a group, organization, or community; an essential part of something that keeps it strong and functioning — for example, a respected teacher who is a pillar of the local community, or honesty as a pillar of a lasting relationship.

例句

After forty years of service, Mrs. Okonkwo was considered a pillar of the school district.

collocation: pillar of the [institution]

Ingrid believes that trust is the main pillar of any strong friendship.

同義詞
  • mainstay

    similar meaning but stresses the role of primary support that keeps something going

  • cornerstone

    emphasizes that something is the fundamental starting point on which everything else is built

  • backbone

    stresses strength and resilience; often used for a group of people rather than one individual

反義詞
  • weak link

    the person or part most likely to cause failure in a system

文法句型

pillar + of + [group/system/quality]

用法筆記

Usually followed by of + noun phrase (pillar of the community, pillar of society, pillar of strength). Can describe either a person or an abstract quality. This is the figurative sense — there is no actual column involved.

常見錯誤

❌She is a pillar in this town.
✅She is a pillar of this community.
💡Use of, not in, after pillar in this figurative sense.
❌He is a pillar. (without context)
✅He is a pillar of the local church group.
💡The figurative sense almost always needs a following phrase explaining which group or quality.

3. a tall, free-standing column that people build to honour an important person or

3.名詞B1
釋義

a tall, free-standing column that people build to honour an important person or to keep alive the memory of a past event.

例句

Yuki photographed the tall stone pillar that marked the historic battle site.

The council built a bronze pillar to honour the fallen soldiers.

pattern: pillar + to + honour/person

同義詞
  • monument

    a broader term for any structure built to honour a person or event; a pillar is one type of monument

  • obelisk

    a tall, four-sided pillar that narrows to a point at the top

  • column

    used interchangeably for commemorative pillars, though column is more strictly architectural

文法句型

pillar + to + [person/event]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: a monument pillar stands alone and is not part of a building's structure. It is built specifically to commemorate someone or something. Unlike sense 1, it is rarely followed by 'of' and instead takes 'to' (a pillar to the nation's founders).

4. a tall, narrow mass of something such as smoke, rock, water, or dust that rises

4.名詞B2
釋義

a tall, narrow mass of something such as smoke, rock, water, or dust that rises upward in a column-like shape.

例句

A huge pillar of black smoke rose from the burning warehouse across the river.

collocation: pillar of smoke

Wei watched a dust pillar cross the dry land as the wind blew.

同義詞
  • column

    the most common alternative for describing a vertical mass of smoke, water, or air

  • spout

    a narrow stream of liquid or vapour shooting upward, especially water

  • plume

    a cloud of smoke, dust, or gas that spreads out as it rises, often less column-like than a pillar

文法句型

pillar + of + [substance]

用法筆記

Typically followed by of + a substance noun (smoke, dust, rock, fire, water). This sense is about physical shape, not about structural support or social importance. It appears most often in descriptive or journalistic writing about natural phenomena or disasters.

常見錯誤

❌A pillar of cloud appeared above the mountain. (as a common everyday expression)
✅A tall column of cloud formed above the mountain.
💡Pillar in this sense is used for dramatic or notable sights, not for ordinary clouds.